Winnebago Industries, Inc. Form 8-K dated October 14, 2004

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

Current Report
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)                    October 14, 2004                    

                   Winnebago Industries, Inc.                    
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Iowa
  001-06403
  42-0802678
 
(State or other jurisdiction  (Commission File Number)  (IRS Employer 
of incorporation)     Identification No.) 

P.O. Box 152, Forest City, Iowa
  50436
 
(Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code) 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code                    641-585-3535                    


(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ]   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[  ]   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))


Item 2.02    Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

Winnebago Industries, Inc. is filing herewith a press release issued on October 14, 2004, as Exhibit 99.1 which is included herein. The press release was issued to report earnings for the fourth quarter and 2004 fiscal year ended August 28, 2004.

Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

      (c)    Exhibits

  Exhibit
Number
Description
 
    99.1 Press release of Winnebago Industries, Inc. dated October 14, 2004.  

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: October 14, 2004   WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES, INC.  
 
  By:        /s/   Bruce D. Hertzke                                                               
  Name:   Bruce D. Hertzke 
  Title:     Chief Executive Officer 

EXHIBIT INDEX

  Exhibit
Number
Description
 
    99.1 Press release of Winnebago Industries, Inc. dated October 14, 2004.  





Exhibit 99.1 Press Release to Winnebago Industries, Inc. Form 8-K dated October 14, 2004,

EXHIBIT 99.1

Contact: Sheila Davis – PR/IR Mgr. – 641-585-6803 – sdavis@winnebagoind.com

WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES REPORTS RECORD RESULTS
AND $1 BILLION MILESTONE FOR FISCAL 2004

—Cash Dividend Announced —

FOREST CITY, IOWA, October 14, 2004 – Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WGO), the nation’s leading motor home manufacturer, today reported record financial results for the Company’s fourth quarter and fiscal year ended August 28, 2004.

        Revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004 were a record $283.0 million, a 25 percent increase compared to revenues of $225.7 million for the fourth quarter last year.

        Net income for the fourth quarter ended August 28, 2004 was a record $19.0 million, a 58 percent increase compared to $12.0 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003. On a diluted per share basis, the Company earned a record 55 cents a share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004, a 72 percent increase compared to 32 cents a share for the fourth quarter last year.

        Revenues for fiscal 2004 were a record $1.1 billion, a 32 percent increase compared to $845.2 million for the previous fiscal year.

        Net income for fiscal 2004 was a record $70.6 million, a 41 percent increase compared to $49.9 million for fiscal 2003. On a diluted per share basis, the Company earned a record $2.03 a share, a 53 percent increase compared to $1.33 a share for fiscal 2003. Included in fiscal 2003 net income was $1.2 million from discontinued operations, or three cents a share.

        “We are extremely pleased with our record results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2004,” said Winnebago Industries Chairman, CEO and President Bruce Hertzke. “It is a particularly significant milestone to reach $1 billion in revenues. I want to thank all of our Winnebago Industries team for helping us achieve these outstanding results.”

        “The fourth quarter benefited from additional Class A diesel motor home sales, while fiscal 2004 was positively impacted by increased motor home sales volume overall, as well as a stronger mix of Class A diesel products,” continued Hertzke. “The successful launch last fall of our new Winnebago Vectra and redesigned Journey, as well as the new Itasca Horizon and Meridian diesel motor home products in our 2004 product lines, provided significant momentum for our growth in the Class A diesel market throughout the year. Winnebago Industries’ Class A diesel retail market share grew to 14.3 percent calendar year to date through August 2004 compared to 8.9 percent for the same period last year. Our new Charles City motor home production facility expansion also contributed to our successful results in fiscal 2004, enabling us to provide motor homes to our dealers in a timely manner.”

        Winnebago Industries continues to be the top-selling motor home manufacturer in America with 19.2 percent market share for the first eight months of calendar 2004, compared to 19.1 percent for the same period last year.


–more –




Winnebago Industries’ 4th Quarter/Fiscal 2004 Results – Page 2

        As previously announced, Winnebago Industries increased its cash dividend by 40 percent. The Company increased the quarterly dividend to seven cents a share, which annualized would amount to a total of 28 cents a share during fiscal 2005 versus five cents a share quarterly for a total of 20 cents a share annually during fiscal 2004. In a meeting held yesterday, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of seven cents a share, payable on January 5, 2005 to shareholders of record as of December 3, 2004.

        In June, the Board of Directors also announced the Company’s ninth stock repurchase program, authorizing the purchase of Winnebago Industries’ common stock for an aggregate price of up to $30 million. The Company had repurchased 116,800 shares as of August 28, 2004 under that authorization for an aggregate price of approximately $3.4 million. During fiscal 2004, Winnebago Industries repurchased in total approximately 3.4 million shares of common stock (adjusted for the 2-for-1 stock split on March 5, 2004) for an aggregate price of approximately $77.7 million. As of August 28, 2004, there were approximately 33.6 million shares outstanding.

        Winnebago Industries will conduct a conference call in conjunction with this release at 10 a.m. ET today, Thursday, October 14, 2004. Members of the news media, investors and the general public are invited to access a live broadcast of the conference call via the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at www.winnebagoind.com, at www.shareholder.com/winnebago/medialist.cfm or www.vcall.com. The event will be archived and available for replay for the next 90 days.

About Winnebago Industries

        Winnebago Industries, Inc. is the leading United States manufacturer of motor homes, self-contained recreation vehicles used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds quality motor homes under the Winnebago, Itasca and Rialta brand names with state-of-the-art computer-aided design and manufacturing systems on automotive-styled assembly lines. The Company’s common stock is listed on the New York, Chicago and Pacific Stock Exchanges and traded under the symbol WGO. Options for the Company’s common stock are traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. For access to Winnebago Industries investor relations material, to add your name to an automatic email list for Company news releases or for information on a dollar-based stock investment service for the Company’s stock, visit, http://www.winnebagoind.com/html/company/investorRelations.html

        This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements, including, but not limited to reactions to actual or threatened terrorist attacks, the availability and price of fuel, a significant increase in interest rates, a slowdown in the economy, availability of chassis and other key component parts, sales order cancellations, slower than anticipated sales of new or existing products, new products introduced by competitors and other factors. Additional information concerning certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from that projected or suggested is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over the last 12 months, copies of which are available from the SEC or from the Company upon request.




Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income
(In thousands except per share amounts)
(Adjusted for 2-for-1 Stock Split)

Quarter Ended Fiscal Year Ended
8/28/2004
8/30/2003
8/28/2004
8/30/2003
Net revenues     $ 283,002   $ 225,694   $ 1,114,154   $ 845,210  
Cost of goods sold    241,346    196,902    951,985    731,832  

   Gross profit    41,656    28,792    162,169    113,378  

Operating expenses  
   Selling    6,986    6,346    20,764    19,753  
   General and administrative    5,643    4,044    30,607    16,331  

     Total operating expenses    12,629    10,390    51,371    36,084  

Operating income    29,027    18,402    110,798    77,294  
Financial income    484    398    1,436    1,399  

Pre-tax income    29,511    18,800    112,234    78,693  
Provision for taxes    10,521    6,832    41,593    29,961  

Income from continuing operations    18,990    11,968    70,641    48,732  
Income from discontinued operations  
  (Net of taxes)                1,152  

Net income   $ 18,990   $ 11,968   $ 70,641   $ 49,884  

Income per share (basic)  
  From continuing operations   $ 0.56   $ 0.33   $ 2.06   $ 1.32  
  From discontinued operations                .03  

   Net income   $ 0.56   $ 0.33   $ 2.06   $ 1.35  

Number of shares used in per share  
   calculations-basic    33,670    36,368    34,214    36,974  

Income per share (diluted)  
  From continuing operations   $ 0.55   $ 0.32   $ 2.03   $ 1.30  
  From discontinued operations                .03  

   Net income   $ 0.55   $ 0.32   $ 2.03   $ 1.33  

Number of shares used in per share  
   calculations-diluted    34,244    36,980    34,789    37,636  





Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)

Aug. 28, 2004
Aug. 30, 2003
ASSETS            
Current assets  
  Cash   $ 75,545   $ 99,381  
  Receivables    46,112    30,885  
  Inventories    130,733    114,282  
  Other    17,679    12,741  

    Total current assets    270,069    257,289  
Property and equipment, net    63,995    63,318  
Deferred income taxes    25,166    22,491  
Investment in life insurance    22,863    22,794  
Other assets    12,463    11,570  

    Total assets   $ 394,556   $ 377,462  



LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
  
Current liabilities  
  Accounts payable   $ 46,659   $ 52,239  
  Income taxes payable    4,334      
  Accrued expenses    54,285    40,159  

    Total current liabilities    105,278    92,398  
Post retirement health care and  
  deferred compensation benefits    87,403    74,438  
Stockholders’ equity    201,875    210,626  

    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 394,556   $ 377,462  










Winnebago Industries Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
(In thousands)

Fiscal Year Ended
8/28/2004
8/30/2003
Cash flows from operating activities            
   Net income as shown on the statement of income   $ 70,641   $ 49,884  
   Income from discontinued operations        (1,152 )

   Income from continuing operations    70,641    48,732  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by  
   operating activities  
   Depreciation and amortization    9,628    8,786  
   Tax benefit of stock options    2,573    1,356  
   Other    657    176  
Change in assets and liabilities  
   Increase in receivable and other assets    (16,764 )  (1,825 )
   Increase in inventories    (16,451 )  (628 )
   Increase in deferred income taxes    (7,615 )  (1,071 )
   Increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses    6,195    6,407  
   Increase (decrease) in income taxes payable    5,759    (4,035 )
   Increase in postretirement benefits    12,061    4,884  

   Net cash provided by continuing operations    66,684    62,782  
   Net cash provided by discontinued operations        234  

Net cash provided by operating activities    66,684    63,016  

Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities  
   Purchases of property and equipment    (10,588 )  (23,487 )
   Other    (318 )  (1,232 )

   Net cash used in continuing operations    (10,906 )  (24,719 )
   Net cash provided by discontinued operations        39,288  

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities    (10,906 )  14,569  

Cash flows used in financing activities and capital transactions  
   Payments for purchase of common stock    (77,668 )  (20,221 )
   Payment of cash dividends    (6,899 )  (3,701 )
   Proceeds from issuance of common and treasury stock    4,953    3,493  

Net cash used in financing activities and capital transactions    (79,614 )  (20,429 )

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents    (23,836 )  57,156  
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period    99,381    42,225  

Cash and cash equivalents-end of period   $ 75,545   $ 99,381  







Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Unaudited Motor Home Deliveries
(Volume in Units)

Quarter Ended Fiscal Year Ended
8/28/2004
8/30/2003
8/28/2004
8/30/2003
Unit deliveries                    
  Class A gas    1,289    1,408    5,277    5,153  
  Class A diesel    686    382    2,831    1,552  
  Class C    1,113    1,151    4,408    4,021  


     Total shipments    3,088    2,941    12,516    10,726  

Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Unaudited Backlog and Dealer Inventory
(Volume in Units)

Fiscal Year Ended
8/28/2004
8/30/2003
Sales order backlog                    
  Class A gas    1,187    1,172  
  Class A diesel    614    612  
  Class C    740    848  

     Total backlog*    2,541    2,632  

Dealer inventory
    4,978    3,945  

* The Company includes in its backlog all accepted orders from dealers shippable within the next six months. Orders in backlog can be cancelled or postponed at the option of the purchaser at any time without penalty and, therefore, backlog may not necessarily be an accurate measure of future sales.

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